Vegetable Mousse Food

VEGETABLE MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Cover 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds with salt. Arrange eggplant in single layer atop towels. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Position first rack in bottom third of oven and second rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Remove eggplant and paper towels from baking sheets. Pat eggplant dry. Oil same baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds with 1/4 cup oil. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Turn eggplant and rotate pans in oven. Continue baking until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until onion is very tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in garlic, then mushrooms. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Mix in oregano and cinnamon. Add tomatoes and parsley. Cook until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant rounds in single layer in dish. Spoon half of tomato mixture evenly over eggplant. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, tomato mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Pour sauce over vegetables in dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Bake moussaka until heated through and sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes (or about 55 minutes for refrigerated moussaka). Cool 15 minutes.

VEGETABLE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan, line it with wax paper.
• Grease again and set aside.
• Cook or steam carrots in a small amount of water.
• Cook artichoke hearts.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the spinach, onion and dill.
• Cook over medium heat until onion is tender and spinach is dry.
• Combine eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg - blend until smooth.
• In a blender or food processor combine 1/3 of the egg mixture with each of the vegetables.
• Arrange in even layers in the loaf pan with artichokes on the bottom, then carrots, then spinach on top.
• Place in a pan of simmering water that reaches halfway up the loaf pan and bake 1 1/4 hours at 375 degrees.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Invert onto a serving dish to unmold and remove wax paper.
• Let stand 20 minutes before serving or refrigerate and serve very cold.

VEGETABLE MOUSSE TERRINE

Steps:

• Make pea mousse:
• Lightly oil terrine mold and line bottom and sides with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.
• Cook peas in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer peas with a slotted spoon (reserve cooking water) to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. When peas are cool, drain well, then transfer to several layers of paper towels and pat dry.
• Purée peas in a food processor, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary, until very smooth, about 1 minute, then force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding skins. Add cheese, zest, juice, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.
• Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold into pea mixture.
• Spread pea mousse evenly in terrine mold and chill.
• Make corn mousse while pea mousse chills:
• Return cooking water to a boil, then add corn and cook until very tender, about 6 minutes.
• While corn cooks, put milk in a medium bowl and sprinkle with gelatin, then let soften 1 minute. Add salt and pepper.
• Drain corn in cleaned medium-mesh sieve, then transfer to several layers of fresh paper towels and pat dry. Pulse in cleaned food processor, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary, until very smooth, about 1 minute.
• Force warm puréed corn through sieve with a large rubber spatula into milk mixture, discarding skins, and stir to combine. (Heat from corn will dissolve gelatin.) Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Beat cream in another bowl with electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold into corn mixture along with basil.
• Spread corn mousse on top of pea mousse in terrine mold and chill, its surface covered with lightly oiled parchment (oiled side down), until softly set (terrine will not be firm), at least 4 hours.
• Unmold terrine and make salad:
• Remove top layer of parchment and invert a platter on top of terrine mold. Invert mousse onto platter and carefully remove parchment.
• Toss tomatoes with oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, spoon tomato salad around terrine.

VEGETABLE TERRINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt it and blanch the beet greens for 1 minute. Remove the leaves and immediately rinse under ice-cold water to set their color. Gently lay flat on tea towels, and pat dry with another tea towel. They should be completely dry.
• Line a buttered terrine mold with a piece of parchment. Neatly lay in the beet leaves to cover the bottom and sides completely. They should dangle over the sides a bit so that they can be folded over the completed terrine later.
• Cook the cauliflower, carrots and peas one at a time in the same pot of boiling salted water, until very tender. Remove them and immediately rinse in ice-cold water to preserve their color. Drain well. Roast the pepper until very soft. Peel, seed and cut into pieces.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
• This terrine has five layers, so work one vegetable at a time. First put the cauliflower in the blender with 1/4 cup/60 ml cream and 1 egg. Pulse to a smooth puree. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the blender and proceed with the remaining vegetables in the same manner, pouring their purees off into bowls and setting aside. Put the final egg and 1/4 cup/60 ml cream in the blender with the Parmesan cheese and puree to blend. Season each mixture with salt and pepper.
• If you pour one mixture on top of the other into the terrine, they will run together, so spoon them in instead. Start with the carrot, spooning it into the terrine and smoothing it out to the edges. Next, spoon over the cauliflower, followed by the peas. Spoon the Parmesan mixture over evenly, and end with the red pepper. If one leaks through to another layer, fear not: some think it is even more beautiful that way and in any case it will taste delicious. Fold the overhanging beet leaves over top to cover. Bake in a water bath until set, a good hour.
• Remove the terrine from the bath. Let it cool completely on a wire rack, and, if possible, chill in the refrigerator overnight so it sets well. At least half an hour before serving, turn the terrine out onto a cutting board or platter for serving in slices.

GARDEN PEA & ASPARAGUS MOUSSE

Steps:

• Brush 6 dariole moulds (100 ml/ 31⁄2 fl oz capacity) with mild olive oil and line the bases with discs of baking paper. Shell the peas and trim away and discard the cut end of the asparagus. Chop the asparagus into short lengths and put in a steamer with the peas. Steam for 3-5 minutes until the asparagus and peas are just tender but still bright green. Put 6 tbsp of steamed peas into a small bowl, spoon over the 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.
• Put the asparagus and the rest of the cooked peas in a food processor and whizz to a purée. Soften the gelatine in the wine or lemon juice in a small pan for 5 minutes, then put over a low heat until the gelatine is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
• Whisk the cream with the tarragon until it is thick but still glossy. Stir the gelatine into the purée and fold in the cream with plenty of salt and pepper. Divide the mixture between the moulds so they are three quarters full, then put in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until set.
• When ready to serve, run the blade of a small knife around the rim of the mousse and turn out each one on a small plate. Sprinkle the reserved peas around the base of each mousse and lay a tarragon sprig on top of each one. Drizzle a little more olive oil and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar over the peas. Serve straight away while still chilled.